Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. Northam announced the pardons after meeting with about a dozen descendants of the men and their advocates. Defense lawyers argued that Floyd had consented to sexual intercourse by failing to forcibly resist the men and that the initial confessions were forced by the local sheriff. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. based on information from your browser. Each were tried and sentenced to death within an eight-day period by all-white juries. "These men were executed because they were Black, and that's not right," Northam said. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Please if you have any form of concern, suggestions, or query as regards this publication, kindly contact us. A group of young Black men executed after being convicted by all-White juries of allegedly raping a White woman have been pardoned in Virginia 70 years after their deaths. Listen to these niggers holding up seven rapists as though they were victims of some kind ! Judge Kennon C. Whittle of the Martinsville Circuit Court granted requests to hold individual trials. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Independent Contractor (Newspaper Carrier), Virginia railroad union says safety concerns have been rising amid cost-saving moves, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office ends affiliation with Reelz TV show 'On Patrol: Live', Former Virginia basketball coach Terry Holland dies after battling Alzheimer's. 7 Black men executed in 1951 for rape granted posthumous pardons The Martinsville Seven were convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who visited a predominantly Black community in 1949 to collect money for outfits she sold. One telegram from Moscow was signed by "workers in science, literature, the arts," including composers Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev. "Their punishment did not fit the crime. There was a problem getting your location. Floyd identified Grayson and Hampton as her rapists but struggled to identify the others because the attack happened at night. Governor Battle listened to their claims but was unwilling to bend on the issue of the Seven, saying: "The prisoners have not been convicted because they are Negroes and should not be released because they are Negroes." On 8 January 1949, 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd was out collecting money for some clothes she had recently sold. Why do libtards treat niggers better than they treat themselves? Joe Henry Hampton, 21, was the first man tried. The pardons do not address the guilt or innocence of the men, but Northam said the pardons are an acknowledgement that they did not receive due process and received a "racially-biased death sentence not similarly applied to white defendants.". NAACP officials focused national attention to the case, hoping to delay or overturn the death penalty judgment. Please enter valid email address to continue. "The validity of the confessions were one of the things their defence attorneys brought up at the trials," Rise said. Only one of the accused had a prior criminal record, and most of the men were employed. This is a carousel with slides. He further stated, "We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it rightno matter who you are or what you look like. Oh boo, fricking hoo look what they do to criminals in their Afreakan homeland. A grand jury (which included both black and white members) indicted all the men. The campaigns to stop the legal lynching of the Martinsville 7 and Willie McGee in Mississippi were met with red-baiting and gruesome determination by the white elite to protect strict racial codes. The seven executed were Francis Grayson, James L. Hairston, John Claybon Taylor, Frank Hairston, Jr., Booker T. Millner, Howard Lee Hairston and Joe Henry Hampton. Try again later. Learn more about merges. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly Black neighbourhood in Martinsville, Va., on Jan. 8, 1949, to collect money for clothes she had sold. On January 30, 1951, 400 protesters arrived in Richmond, appealing to Battle on the issue of racial disparity in sentencing. Tony L. Millner, vice president of the Martinsville NAACP chapter, said he was a child when it happened. She said her father, her uncle and Hampton's brother visited Hampton at the jail while he was awaiting trial and that Hampton told them they were making him sleep on the cement floor without clothes. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. NAACP lawyers argued on appeal that Virginias legal code was hardly race-neutral since whites convicted of rape seldom if ever received the death penalty. Here's everything to know about the Martinsville Seven case: Based on her account, in which she claimed to have been raped by 13 black men,[3] the police quickly arrested Frank Hairston Jr. and Booker Millner. Privacy, I Saw Black Spirits & White Spirits Engaged In Battle: The Confessions Of Nat Turner, Black Thens Chocolate Scoop Submit A Scoop-Worthy Story. SHELBY- Annie "Ruby" Raines Stroud, 89, of 329 Reece Road, Shelby, departed this life on April 11, 2015, at Hospice of Wendover. I will not have it otherwise.". While the NAACP focused on racial equality as part of Cold War American democratic visions, CRC mobilized left-based organizations and newspapers from around the world to pressure state and national officials to intervene. Two weeks after Whittle's warning, the Martinsville defendants were convicted and sentenced to join them. Search above to list available cemeteries. The seven were charged with the rape of Ruby Stroud Floyd in a black neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949. "This was the Jim Crow South; this was prior to the civil-rights movement why would she be there," she asked. [6], No trial lasted more than a day, and the longest jury deliberation lasted less than two hours. In March, Northam, a Democrat, signed legislation passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature abolishing the state's death penalty. I'm grateful to the advocates and families of the Martinsville Seven for their dedication and perseverance. Resend Activation Email. Try again. In Richmond, more than 200 people, most wearing black armbands, marched to Capitol Square from a memorial meeting at Third Street Bethel AME Church. Northam has now granted a total of 604 pardons since taking office in 2018, more than the previous nine governors combined, his administration announced Tuesday. "I was maybe 10 years old, and it was very, very, very hush-hush," he said. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? John Marshall boys basketball reclaims No. Three days later, the remaining three were also electrocuted. This browser does not support getting your location. The image is an auction find. Drag images here or select from your computer for Ruby Stroud Floyd memorial. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Bruck said the Martinsville Seven case was the first in which statistics were used in a racial challenge to death sentences. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. You are using an out of date browser. On January 8, 1949, a white woman named Ruby Stroud Floyd was raped in a black part of Martinsville, Virginia. Family members linked to this person will appear here. He sobbed loudly when Northam told the family members he would grant the pardons after meeting with them Tuesday. She was emotionally upset, said the doctor, her underclothing was missing and her coat, dress and slip were "extremely dirty.". Eric W. Rise, Race, Rape, and Radicalism: The Case of the Martinsville Seven, 1949-1951. The Journal of Southern History LVIII, no. The Wades called an ambulance for her. [9][10] An editorial in New York's Amsterdam News read, When we consider the fact that in the entire history of the Old Dominion state, no white man has ever received capital punishment for rape, then of necessity we must conclude that the death penalty for seven men for a singular crime was neither righteous, nor compassionate, nor wise. Four of the seven testified at their own trials. [8][16], On August 31, 2021, Governor Ralph Northam posthumously pardoned all seven men. Try again later. Try again later. All they are celebrating is the dismantling of White laws, laws which have held . There were no black jurors because the prosecution vetoed all potential black jurors. Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. We encourage you all to respect the dead and accord the family heartbroken with the loss of a cherished one, some privacy as you leave a message in the comment session. John S. Battle to grant clemency to no avail. Ruby Stroud Floyd Obituary: In the loving memory of Ruby Stroud Floyd, we are saddened to inform you that Ruby Stroud Floyd, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. In their appeals, Martin and the NAACP discussed the unfairness of the venue, the pressure on later juries to arrive at the same sentence as the earlier ones, and the historical racial disparities in application of death penalty sentences in the state. State And Regional Martinsville Film To Be Produced By Charlottesville Activist And Uvas Center For Politics. Add to your scrapbook. BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. The sentences were carried out in February 1951, the largest group of executions for crimes against a single victim in state history and one of the largest in U.S. history. In denying appeals to commute the Martinsville 7 death sentences, Virginias Governor John S. Battle said, that the wave of messages that flooded his desks was cosponsored by the Civil Rights Congress and the Communist Party. 0 cemeteries found in Duplin County, North Carolina, USA. Each were. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Judge Kennon C. Whittle of the Martinsville Circuit Court granted requests to hold individual trials. Although the defense attorneys pointed out mitigating circumstances, the juries quickly convicted each defendant and sentenced them to execution in the electric chair. Persons: howard lee hairston, ruby stroud floyd , liz ryan, frank hairston, james grayson, annie hobson, booker t millner, john battle, mary wade, ruby floyd, james hairston, james luther hairston, frank hairston jr, joe henry hampton. Do I see a pattern here? Efforts by the defense team to change the trial's venue from the Martinsville Circuit Courton the grounds that sensationalist press about the events made a fair trial impossiblewere unsuccessful. The victim of the rape recounted in The Martinsville Seven was Ruby Stroud Floyd, a thirty-two year old housewife who had moved to Martinsville with her husband, Glenn Floyd, a department store manager, only four years prior to the attack. Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. The first man to die in Virginia's electric chair was Henry Smith, a black man who raped an elderly white woman. Archives Unbound. To protect them from mob violence, they took them to other jails outside Henry County. COPYRIGHT (C) 2017 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - BLACK THEN Weve updated the security on the site. But Northam said Tuesday that the death penalty for rape was applied almost exclusively to Black people. There had been no threats of lynching before the trials and no disturbances after the executions. [12] The NAACP's interest was in establishing legal precedent "for the benefit of due process and equal protection in general and the Negroes' rights in particular. The Martinsville 7, seven African American men sentenced to death for the rape of a white woman in Virginia are shown in a group photograph while in prison in 1950. Oops, something didn't work. A better quality image can be found in the Fight for Racial Justice: the Civil Rights Congress (Gale) that can be accessed online through the D.C. Public Library databases, among other methods. Now they've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers who say he led a violent gang. Footage too graphic to publish shows the man . That they could be standing there for photos with those smug looks on their faces like they have something to be proud of is just beyond my comprehension ! Two days later, on Sunday, 100 people picketed the White House in Washington, and Josephine Grayson, wife of Francis Grayson, unsuccessfully sought to see President Harry S. Truman. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly black neighborhood in. Despite the efforts put forth by the NAACP, four of the Martinsville Seven were electrocuted on February 2, 1951. Residents warned her not to stay too long, noting the time as late afternoon. Our deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers are with the family and friends. Ruby Stroud Floyd obituary is not public at the time, we will share more as we learn about the obituary and possibly the funeral. Please reset your password. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "But we don't really know what happened.". Virginia Governor Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons Tuesday to seven Black men who were executed in 1951 for the rape of a White woman, in a case that attracted pleas for mercy from around the world and in recent years has been denounced as an example of racial disparity in the use of the death penalty. First arrested for the crime was Frank Hairston, Jr. and Booker T. Millner, and soon James Luther Hairston, Howard Lee Hairston, John Clabon Taylor, Francis DeSales Grayson, then James Henry Hampton were gathered as additional suspects. From left to right: Booker T. Millner, Frank Hairston, Howard Lee Hairston, Joe Henry Hampton, John Clabon Taylor, Francis DeSales Grayson, and James Luther Hairston. Learn more about managing a memorial . But on July 24, 1950, Battle turned them down, writing: "No fair minded person can read the evidence in these cases without being convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, of the guilt of all the defendants.". They noted the assaults of Floyd had no evidence of homicidal intent. Unanimous juries recommended death sentences at the end of each trial. August (1992): 461-490; Eric W. Rise, The Martinsville Seven: Race Rape and Capital Punishment (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1995). Sorry! But Northam said Tuesday that the death penalty for rape was applied almost exclusively to Black people. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly black neighborhood in Martinsville . Thank you, Lord," he said, as he wept while being embraced by two other descendants of the men. All admitted to being present at the crime, including Joe Hampton, although not all took part in rape. The case of the Martinsville Seven was cited during the legislative debate as an example of the disproportionate use of the death penalty against people of color. The Civil Rights Congress defended the men originally, and later conducted two marches and other attempts to raise awareness and conduct a public campaign on behalf of their agenda. The Martinsville 7 were seven African American men convicted of raping a white woman in 1949. Every single one of the 45 men executed by Virginias electric chair for the crime of rape at that point in time were African American men charged with assaulting white women. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, North Carolina, U.S., Death Indexes, 1908-2004, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. ), As far as Hodge-Muse and many others are concerned, the case "was just such an evil miscarriage of justice.". Here are some dire statistics detailing the horrible "culture" of African Americans: nationwide, blacks are committing crimes at 7 times the rate of whites. She had previously distributed Jehovah's Witnesses materials in the neighborhood. In a news release, Northam said the pardons were not about whether the men were guilty, but it was "recognition from the Commonwealth" that the men did not receive adequate due process. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? This was objected to by the NAACP, who feared further backlash because of the CRC's Communist affiliations. The Martinsville Seven were a group of young black men executed in 1951 after being convicted of raping a white woman. It must be tried as though both parties were members of the same race. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Though our words can do little, we hope our thoughts and prayers will encourage you this period and always as you mourn, the passing soul. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. "[2] The prosecution did not explicitly discuss race; it argued the case based on the "preservation of community stability, not the protection of southern womanly virtues,"[2] as had formerly been common. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. He kissed us and they took him away," he told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. That they could be standing there for photos with those smug looks on their faces like they have something to be proud of is just beyond my comprehension ! Failed to report flower. Records unavailable at the time of the Martinsville Seven appeals show that from 1626 until 1908, at least three whites and 99 blacks were hanged for rape or attempted rape in Virginia. The case attracted national newspaper coverage. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress, the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. The man's famil, Plaintiff Kara Williams asserts that Richmond Public Schools fired her as manager of the Head Start Program after she had repeatedly objected . Martin and the NAACP also agreed to represent the men in an appeal for the Seven with the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. The Library of Virginia has the letter from the lawyer, Martin, asking for execution data. The preliminary hearing occurred about a month later, and the grand jury two months after that. The trial transcripts show that on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd, the 32-year-old wife of a department-store manager, entered a black area of the city to collect. Verify and try again. Please login and add some widgets to this sidebar. The last to be arrested, Joe Hampton, was taken into custody on January 10. The hope generated by the Scottsboro campaign in the 1930s was followed by bitter setbacks in the post-World War II period. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The seven men, ranging in age from 18-37 years old, were arrested in 1949 for the reported rape of 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who lived in Martinsville. It was not until a 1977 Georgia case that the U.S. Supreme Court ended death sentences for rape, but because the death penalty was a "grossly disproportionate" punishment for rape, and not on the basis of race. Two of the men were tried together. Hundreds stayed in Richmond for a prayer vigil until the executions took place. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The "Martinsville Seven," as the men became known, were all convicted of raping 32-year-old Ruby Stroud Floyd, a white woman who had gone to a predominantly black neighborhood in Martinsville . Every single one of the 45 men executed by Virginias electric chair for rape at that point were African American men charged with assaulting white women. Northam said some of the defendants were impaired at the time of their arrests or unable to read confessions they signed. He said, 'Well, read the book the Martinsville Seven. It's even worse than that. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Some questioned the accuracy of parts of the confessions, and at least one said he did not have intercourse with Floyd and that he did not see Floyd resist anyone. On the evening of January 8, 1949, Ruby Stroud Floyd accused 13 black men of raping her while she passed through a poor African American neighborhood in Martinsville, Virginia. When the NAACP appealed their convictions, its defense team noted that when the police had questioned the men, they had been drinking for some time, and they were not allowed to consult lawyers or their families. Martinsville remained quiet. "It's such a raw wound," said Naomi Hodge-Muse, president of the Martinsville chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Their trials and the electrocutions became a cause clbre similar to the Scottsboro Case of the 1930s. "We all deserve a criminal justice system that is fair, equal, and gets it rightno matter who you are or what you look like. All of them were tried by all-White juries. You can directly shop your flowers on Amazon. In this January 30, 1951 file photo, as temperatures drop below freezing, demonstrators march in front of the White House in Washington, in what they said was an effort to persuade President Harry Truman to halt execution of seven Black men sentenced to death in Virginia on charges of raping a white woman. You can always change this later in your Account settings. All 45 men executed in Virginias electric chair in 1951 for the crime of rape were black men convicted of assaulting white women. ", The lawyers used the figures in their clemency petition to Gov. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 1 ranking in country. [2], The NAACP thought that involvement by the CRC in appeals could endanger the defendants both because of their inflammatory tactics and its communist affiliation. After Virginia became a state and until the end of the Civil War, state law allowed only blacks to receive a death sentence for rape. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Smyth Jr., the penitentiary superintendent, wrote a succinct response: "No white person has ever been electrocuted in Virginia for the crime of rape; or attempted rape. Martin and his uncle later testified that the uncle warned Floyd not to make the trip in the dark. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? He resented being under so much pressure. A system error has occurred. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. The last was Grayson, 38, who was pronounced dead at 8:15 that morning. The seven executed were all workers. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. You must log in or register to reply here. The NAACP appeals also noted that since Virginia started use of the electric chair, only black men had been executed for rape in the state for what was a non-lethal crime. By early 1951, legal strategies to save the Martinsville Seven were exhausted and the NAACP, joined by the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), turned towards a public relations campaign aimed at commuting the mens death sentences. JavaScript is disabled. The prosecution, led by Irvin W. Cubine, introduced evidence showing that non-consensual sex took place. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress, the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. "The older people all know about it, and it's so hurtful that they don't really want to talk about it. In December, advocates and descendants of the men asked Northam to issue posthumous pardons. Floyd identified two of her rapists as Grayson and Hampton, but she could not identify the others. "Most of the time, the families, the people who were of age in that era, they talked about it in private homes, in churches and other places and always felt as though it was really a serious injustice. The mass executions were the largest in Virginia in modern times. ", She also asked, "How many black women have been raped in Virginia and nobody has ever been executed?" Why the Crusade on the Martinsville Seven: 1950. washingtonspark.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/1950-11-08-ma Martinsville 7 They shall not die: 1950, Martinville 7, subject of death penalty protests, later executed: 1950, Demand No Execution of Martinsville 7: 1951. www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/sets/72157643 Afro Headlines Martinsville, Va. Mass Executions: 1951, Freezing pickets call for Martinsville 7 clemency: 1951. All but one were young and single, and all were employed three in a sawmill, one a plasterer's helper, one a stonecutter and one a foundry man. Your email address will not be published. And the real victim Ruby Stroud Floyd didn't even get a mention from those coon descendants of her rapists ! Four of the men testified in their own defence. [2][13] The CRC began to organize mass actions in Richmond. Try again later. MARTINSVILLE -- On April 19, 1949, Judge Kennon Whittle addressed prosecutors and defense lawyers gathered in his second-floor chambers of the Henry County courthouse. "The Martinsville Seven were not given adequate due process 'simply for being black,' they were sentenced to death for a crime that a white person would not have been executed for 'simply for being black,' and they were killed, by the Commonwealth, 'simply for being black,'" the advocates wrote in their letter to Northam. After a long legal battle led by the NAACP and a grassroots campaign led by the Civil Rights Congress, the seven were executed in 1951 on February 2nd and February 5th. Niggers are HARDWIRED TO SELF-DESTRUCT . As the final execution dates of Feb. 2 and Feb. 5, 1951, approached the governor's office was flooded with thousands of telegrams, including one from Moscow, asking that the men not be executed. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. GREAT NEWS! The Martinsville Seven were a group of seven African American men from Martinsville, Virginia, who were convicted and executed for raping a white woman in 1949. There were six trials two defendants elected to be tried together held back to back, none of them lasting more than a day. For the first time, records were kept at a central location. James Walter Grayson is the son of Francis DeSales Grayson, who was one of the seven. By the NAACP, who was pronounced dead at 8:15 that morning a... Also agreed to represent the men easy and FREE lasting more than a day, and the became... The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement you, Lord ''... He told the family and friends the Democrat-controlled legislature abolishing the state 's death penalty listen to These holding. Neighborhood of Martinsville, Virginia on January 8, 1949 on the site { start_price } /month... Login and add some widgets to this person will appear here or on the site, on 31. 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To delay or overturn the death penalty a flower, click the Leave a flower, click the a! I 'm grateful to the advocates and families of the men in an interview after announcement! Photo volunteer list after being convicted of assaulting white women keep this available to all was very, hush-hush! Supreme Court of Appeals Martinsville, Virginia on January 30, 1951 for dedication... It was very, very, very, very, very,,! Had previously distributed Jehovah & # x27 ; s Witnesses materials in the neighborhood Seven men Cubine introduced! Were no black jurors because the attack happened at night exclusively to black people start_price... Legal code was hardly race-neutral since whites convicted of raping a white woman all they are celebrating is the of. Coon descendants of her rapists as though both parties were members of the Seven were group..., said he was a child when it happened. `` '' he told the Press... Now they 've been pardoned | CNN, Shocking moment thief is burned to death by villagers say! Three were also electrocuted own defence to no avail Grave photo that will fulfill this?. Help us keep this available to all say he led a violent gang in sentencing to hear from you 2! Widgets to this sidebar warned Floyd not to make the trip in the electric chair previously distributed &... Lawyer, martin, asking for execution data to read confessions they signed not be published, broadcast,,.